


RWBY - Why We Keep Warm

by EveningBlaze16



Category: RWBY
Genre: Multi, Not Alone, Oscar reaches out, Ozma needs help, feels abound, never give up, speculation on the reincation in rwby, standing up and soft warmth, we're here for you, you're safe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-22
Updated: 2020-08-22
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:55:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,976
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26039821
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EveningBlaze16/pseuds/EveningBlaze16
Summary: I DO NOT OWN RWBY OR ANYTHING RWBY RELATED! ALL CREDIT GOES TO MONTY OUM! (RIP)Hey guys. So this is a one-shot that frankly is just something that I think goes a bit deeper into the "ensures you that you are never alone" part. No one in Ozma's case should have to face this alone nor should it just be taken on by one person. That's not something that should be taken lightly and he needs a support group that will not only support but let him know when they've fallen and help them stand again. basically, the incarnations should probably be seen as a support group and thus please treat this as a take on it as that idea. each soul has their own color and voice but they're not the most vocal.
Relationships: Oscar Pine/Ozma, Oscar Pine/Ozpin, Oscar Pine/Team JNR
Kudos: 8





	RWBY - Why We Keep Warm

It was a cold and dreary evening in Atlas Academy. Teams RWBY & JNR had gotten back from their mission with the Ace-Ops & Qrow Branwen. Oscar stayed behind to practice with Ironwood, the headmaster of Atlas academy. He was there to greet them at the door but Oscar noticed something was off about Ruby. She didn’t look like her normal chipper self, even her silver eyes looked more like a dulled grey than the vibrant silver he was used too. Did something happen? He decided to wait a bit so she and their friends could rest before asking. 

It wasn’t till much later that he got a chance to talk with her. He found her in the sparring room. “Ruby? Are you ok?” he asked. She looked at him and he could tell something heavy was weighing on her mind. He walked over to her and sat beside her. He took her hands in his before saying “You know you can talk to me. Please… don’t shut me out. You were always there when I needed you. So.. let me return the favor” she sighed heavily and everything tumbled out. 

Her worries about the amity project, the obvious tension between her and Yang, the fact Penny isn’t allowed any friends. It all was so jumbled around in her heart and head that she ended up crumbling in front of him. He just held her close and let her cry it out. Stroking her hair and gently shushing her. “It’s ok. It’s gonna be ok… I’m here. I’ve got you.” At that moment? Nothing else mattered. All that existed was Ruby and him. When she was done and felt better, she wiped her eyes on her sleeve. She took a deep breath and let the warm hug soothe her nerves. He never tried to pull away, he just made sure she really was ok. 

Only now was he really understanding why Wiess was so cold at first, why she wanted to get away from Atlas: because it lacks the warmth of a person. No one felt genuinely safe or welcomed. They felt controlled, constricted, suffocated, and like one wrong move could destroy them. The city in the sky wasn’t living up to the hope it was supposed too... it was just a prison disguised as a palace. No wonder Nora and the others doubted Ironwood. 

Something nagged in his mind; why had they been given updated scrolls? The battle gear he understood. But the scrolls? It wasn’t till Ruby called him that he remembered they were still hugging. “oh sorry.” He said, blushing bright red, immediately letting go. “thanks,” she said as she got herself back together. “look, how about we talk about this a bit more tonight. Ok?” she asked. He decided it’d be better to let her talk to him little by little. His small smile and “ok’ was all the answer he could find. 

It wasn’t till he was alone in his room that he shared with team JNR that he finally could reconnect with Ozpin. Or rather try too… Ozpin really only showed up when he needed it. Then again? After that fiasco that both he and Ruby forced on the old soul? Oscar couldn’t really blame him.. and really? Most of what Ozpin was hiding wasn’t even his fault and more importantly? None of their damn business. These past weeks Oscar’s starting to understand why Ozpin left somethings unsaid or why he only told most of the info. He was trying to ease them into this. His goal wasn’t even focused on Salem, it was focused on uniting and protecting humanity. The Grimm would still exist, there’d still be crime, and so on; Salem is just making things worse. 

So while he was by himself; he sat on the bed, closed his eyes, and tried to find that thread that serves as a manifestation of their connection. He found it and for the first time? He actually took a closer look at it; it was less of a thread dyed two different colors that would eventually (with enough time) blend into one color but was more of three colors braided into one thread. That’s when it started to make sense – Ozma, the one who’s soul got roped into this mess from the start, was shown by the gold strand. Ozpin, the headmaster who’s the most recently departed host, was the emerald green. Then there was Oscar, the most recent host… he was a brilliant citrus orange. 

They really were a collaboration of countless others. The thread looked frayed and worn but still held together. He was so scared about his own self fading away that he didn’t stop and wonder how the others felt. He remembered what jinn showed them: Ozma and his hosts all had their own lives. That’s why one might have kids and a loving wife but maybe another didn’t, because he gave them space and respect he’d want to be given if it was the other way around. 

The thread seemed to pulse in color like a heartbeat.. the stronger the connection, the brighter it glowed. So, keeping it firmly but carefully in his hand, he let it lead him to where he needed to be. He soon came across two different doors. An old mahogany one with scratches, and a stone one that had thorny vines along with other plants that climbed and curled. He saw by the intricate design, the stone door was.. “Ozma” he said without realizing it. He wasn’t sure what was more likely; that he just stopped fighting and it’s shown by being cut off willingly? Or that the trauma was choking the life out of his heart. The mahogany door looked like it had been badly attacked but only surface base... Ozpin had always been the one to shield others from harm. Guess he was shielding Ozma as much as he could when those events happened. 

Oscar gently placed a hand on the stone door first, trying to see if he can interact with the ancient knight. In the small shreds of his innocence, he desperately wanted to help to reverse the damage that the original soul was suffering. The door felt cold and on the verge of crumbling.. small cracks here and there where sealed by different colors. Each of the other souls must be trying to keep him together. As if to tell him; “You are not alone. We’ve got you, you’re safe.” Oscar brushed a newly formed vine and touched his forehead to the door and whispered “Salem hasn’t won yet. So keep fighting... We’re ALL in this together.”

Oscar then turned his attention to the mahogany door as he traced the scratches over lightly. He could feel an energy coming off it; it was like a tide that pulled a person under if they weren’t careful. But at the same time? It felt like a wave of some kind that came at you steady but strong. It seemed to scream “Don’t come near me. Don’t look at me. I don’t want to hurt you.” Feeling this energy, Oscar tried to turn the doorknob finding it locked. He knocked on the door and called to Ozpin over and over but still nothing. Soon, Oscar just knelt in front of it..tears rolling down his face. “Ozpin… I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I know you’re upset. I know you’re trying to distance yourself. You have every right to not want to talk to us... but please.. just” his voice cracked as he tried to say what he should have said weeks ago.

He noted a small space, much like how in real life a door has a space between it and the floor. It was probably stupid but he tried everything else, so he tried sliding his hand under the door as far as he could. He felt it brush against something that felt like cloth. Then, he felt a hand, Oscar just wiggled his fingers to show that he was there, he wasn’t going to just abandon them. He felt Ozpin’s hand lightly take his fingers. The warmth in it coaxed Ozpin to speak. “Oscar?” A soft chuckle “You came all this way… just to find me?” Ozpin sounded both relieved and overwhelmingly happy. “Of course. I- I missed you” Oscar replied. 

After sliding his hand back, Oscar heard a click of a lock being undone. He backs up and sees Ozpin.. he was exactly as the pictures in the paper said; warm light brown eyes, silvery-white hair, dressed like a gentleman in dark green, fair skin, and at least 6 feet tall. The older soul simply fell to his knees and wrapped the kid in a hug, to which Oscar happily returned. Ozpin felt warm & kind, like a father figure or something. Either way, he was glad for this but knew there would be a long discussion. But the first thing Ozpin said was to head back. The rest of the team is probably worried. They’ll talk more tomorrow. 

When Oscar finally came out of his mental mission, he noticed that team JNR did look kinda worried. He felt the salty sting and quickly realized why. “uh... how much of that did you hear?” he asked nervously as he wiped his eyes. “Only the sniffles.” Ren replied, relieved that Oscar was ok. “Were you just..?” Jaune seemed to have trouble forming the words. The ember of distrust still lingered in his blue eyes but Oscar decided to just tell it like it is. “Was I trying to contact Ozpin? Yes. Was I successful? Kinda. I got him to open up to me. But… I’m not sure he’s quite ready to talk just yet.” He said calmly but a bit frankly. 

Jaune didn’t need to be scolded but he did need to understand. Jaune seemed to get the message as that ember died. He knows just as well as Oscar that they really screwed up, so it’s gonna be a bit before Ozpin comes back full time. But this is as good a start as any. Oscar looked at Ren.. he could tell something was agitating the older teen but he couldn’t quite figure it out. 

Taking a deep breath, “Hey Ren? Are you..ok? You seem a bit.. off.” Ren just looked at Oscar with was probably the saddest face Ren could make. “It’s just… Places like my home split off from the main city. They struck out on their own and while it worked for a while? Well...” the silence had left a feeling that they could figure it out from there. It didn’t take a genius to do so either. “That’s why you’re so adamant about giving Ironwood a chance..” Oscar said softly. It made sense in a way; Ren probably saw the structure and aid that his hometown needed, but was it really worth sacrificing the less fortunate for them to thrive? 

He placed a hand on Ren’s arm, trying to offer comfort. “I think Ironwood has the right idea about communications... I just don’t agree with how he’s going about it. That’s all”. That earned a tiny smile from Ren. “Well on that? I think all of us can agree.” He said with a chuckle. Nora simply hugged them both and let out a victorious laugh. “Why didn’t you just say so before ya goof?” she asked Ren. Some of the tension finally fading from the two as they talked it out. Oscar got the sense that Ozpin was watching silently. It felt similar to when he was a kid and he lost his parents… but whenever he was scared or whenever he’d enjoy himself in solitude? He felt like his parents were there with him, every step of the way. This… This is the kind of warmth Atlas needs to share instead of hoard.


End file.
